DoTS - Fun Sized Edition

"Jason Spears" (shadestalker) 07/14/2019 at 21:18 • Filed to: DOTS

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dogisbadob > Jason Spears 07/14/2019 at 21:29

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These are awesome!

Future Heap Owner > Jason Spears 07/14/2019 at 21:49

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Always happy to see a bite-sized wheeler

fhrblig > Jason Spears 07/14/2019 at 21:59

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You know what, I really need to snag a Tracker before they all go away.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Jason Spears 07/14/2019 at 22:52

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You’d think with the popularity of SUVs and CUVs, there would be a few more of these, or even some longer 2-door CUVs. Maybe not tons of them, but at least a few.

Wrangler isn’t even anywhere near this small anymore... and the 2-door versions don’t sell that well... so I guess nobody even wants to try it.

Imagine something Tracker like with a sporty coupe body... sort of like a smaller, mass-produced affordable rally-fighter.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > fhrblig 07/15/2019 at 00:34

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Better act quick I  think they are almost all gone. We saw one on the road today and my wife was like “ooh a Tracker I remember those I haven’t seen one that runs in years now...” Then some dude pulled up to the lake in a Dodge Raider and I forgot all about the T racker.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 07/15/2019 at 01:04

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VW is about to try it with the T-Roc cabrio, although that probably isn’t coming to the US.

There’s been a few more premium ones: the Mini Paceman and there was an Evoque coupe for a while. Both of these kinda fit your your idea of a smaller, sportier Rally Fighter. But nobody bought them. The Paceman sold 7,000 units before they gave up and I don’t have 3 door Evoque sales numbers but apparently it was even lower than the convertible wh en Land Rover killed it. The Murano CC was a longer 2-door CUV convertible thing and we all know how that went over.

Of course those were way more premium than the Tracker. The closest thing I can think of recently is the Juke - a 4-door made to look sorta like a coupe with hidden rear door handles. Obviously it sold a lot better than a Paceman or Evoque coupe but still not enough to be replaced with the much more conventional Kicks.

I think that current regulations mean we may never see something quite like the Tracker again - look at the latest generation of midsize pickups - they’ve all ballooned way over what an old Tacoma or Ranger looks like due in part to safety regs. Any small SUV based on those kind of platforms is going to be $30k and as big as a Wrangler. Which is why it’ll be hard for anyone to build anything much smaller or cheaper than a 2-door Wrangler Sport.

One curveball is that Hyundai has confirmed they will produce the Santa Cruz small CUV pickup thing and maybe even make a Kia version. Not quite a coupe SUV but if they price it right it could become the Tracker of its generation that we’re talking about 25 years from now.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 07/15/2019 at 10:14

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I am skeptical that Mini Countryman and Paceman actually count as CUVS.. Small, sure. CUV... barely, if at all, with a part-time light duty rear-assist AWD system that cuts out above 40mph, and barely enough ground clearance to drive on grass.

There are other 5-door CUVs that do better, that could be a basis for a sportier 3-door variant.

T-ROC looks like a smaller Murano Cross-Cabriolet, and just as soft and pointless. At least Evoque convertible still has a more versatile drive system, and ground clearance... looking like a mini-Range Rover is just a little bit of a bonus.

Maybe not Tracker or Amigo/Rodeo Sport grade, and not pretending to be a Wrangler rock-crawling rig, but there has to be a way to build something more fun that has lifestyle appeal of a coupe or convertible and adventure vehicle , and drives like a rally car for the road and a bit off the road.

Either that, or put signals and plates on, and grant access road use, but not freeway use to vehicles like Can Am Maverick X3-X, so that t hey wouldn’t need to be trailered everywhere. Arguably these might be as expensive as a Geo Tracker used to be... but require another vehicle rig to transport them between off-road sites...

i86hotdogs > Jason Spears 07/15/2019 at 12:47

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These two are for sale near me. Yellow has a stick, gray doesnt. Both run, both want $800.

NEEEEEEED